Friends with Benefits
by Confused Panda Bear
Summary: WARNING: M-RATED. Kinomoto Sakura has a broken heart and a lusting for her new neighbour, Li Syaoran. Neither of them are looking for a serious relationship, just no strings attached, purely physical fun, right? But of course, it's never really that simple...
1. The Fall

**Friends with Benefits**

**By Confused Panda Bear**

* * *

**Prologue**

**"The Fall"**

* * *

"Have you come to apologize?" he murmured in a dangerously low voice.

Sakura stood awkwardly in the doorway of 12B, the apartment she knew almost better than her own – a place where she had always been welcome. She stared at the cardboard boxes strewn across the living room floor, memories of the past year being packed up and taken away from her.

She licked her lips nervously before she dared to speak. "No, I–"

"Then get out," he interrupted, not even taking a moment to look up at her. "I have nothing to say to you."

Sakura had to catch the gasp in her throat before it could escape.

Was he always capable of being this cold?

Li Syaoran, her best friend, the person she loved more than anyone else in the universe – could not even bring himself to look at her.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. She could no longer count the times when he had gladly taken her into his arms – had come to her before she even knew she needed him.

Now, he denied her existence, and for two straight weeks he had not as much uttered a word to her.

Resentful tears threatened to stream down her cheeks. Her fists clenched at her sides as she stood and watched him, his emotionless face concentrating on taping close the cardboard boxes – concentrating on leaving her behind.

"You...you can't do this," she stammered. "You can't pretend that I don't exist – that _we_ don't exist."

To her dismay, her words did not falter him as he continued to pack away his belongings without hesitation.

She finally let out a sob, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand. "You hate me," she cried, almost to herself. "You won't even _look_ at me."

Syaoran's entire body stiffened at the sound of her tears.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

They hadn't begun what they begun thinking it would end this way, but even now, in retrospect, he knew, somewhere, deep down inside of him, that this time would have eventually come, and it was always going to hurt the most for the person who fell the hardest.

He just didn't think it would be him.

"Sakura..." he said, slowly, "I...I don't hate you."

He finally looked up at her – her small frame standing at his doorway, convulsing with tears.

It was the first time he had allowed himself to see her for two, painful weeks and he felt his heart twist in his chest at the sight of her.

He had ruined her – the beautiful girl who had moved into 12C with the welcoming smile and the infectious laughter. He had turned that sweet innocence into the broken girl before him now and hurt her in a way he promised that he never would.

"Sakura..."

His toes curled and fingers flinched at the sight of her, and before he knew it, he was next to her, his arms encircled around the small of her back and his face buried in the crook of her neck.

He couldn't help it; his body always reacted this way towards her.

"I don't want to look at you," he breathed in a barely audible whisper, "because every time I do, I want to do this."

Clutching at her waist and crushing the air from her lungs, he captured her mouth with a kiss that bruised her lips and her heart.

She felt the frustration and regret behind his actions; his lips were pressed almost painfully against her own, and their tongues wrestled rather than danced.

Even so, she moaned into his lips, delighted, submissively melting into his chest. She missed him; everything about him, so fucking much, and the intensity of how much she missed him scared her.

In a moment of sanity, he abruptly pulled away from her and the air that had been building up in their mouths was relieved with a sigh.

The couple gaped at each other in stunned silence. When was the last time they had kissed? Had it been weeks? Months? They could not remember, but as Sakura trembled in his arms, reality hit her and fresh anger coursed through her veins.

"You bastard, why did you do that?" she cried, pounding her fists into his chest. "You can't just do that whenever you feel like it, _Li_! It doesn't make everything better!"

Syaoran growled and kissed her fiercely again – how dare she call him _Li!_

She had never called him 'Li' and had absolutely insisted on calling him by his first name, despite his initial efforts to correct her.

He tightened his grip almost painfully as if to punish her.

This was typical of Sakura.

Since the night of their argument, it seemed as if she was going out of her way to torment him. Her intoxicating scent and the sound of her melodic voice through the thin walls of her apartment was enough to send his jaw grinding. He heard her leave for work every morning and found himself waiting for her to enter his apartment uninvited, despite whatever indecent state he was in, to wish him a good morning like she always did.

But of course, he no longer deserved her visits.

And now, to his dismay, she had regressed into referring to him by his family name, as if he were a stranger, as if everything that had happened between them was meaningless, as if she thought he didn't _want_ her – _need_ her.

The idea that she ever doubted that of him drove him to the edge of madness.

Syaoran lifted her up and she fought against him, but when she sank onto his mattress and wrapped her arms around his neck, he knew that she was his, even if it was just for one last night.

_Stop! _her mind screamed, partly because she hated him did not want to give him the satisfaction of one last round before he left, and partly because she cared about him so much that she did not want things between them to end this way. But when Syaoran kissed her deeply again, clawing at her clothing with an unrecognizable urgency, all of her hesitations flew from her mind.

He ripped at her white work shirt so impatiently that the buttons tore from their seams and bounced across the room.

He groaned as he felt her back arch towards him and he answered willingly, crushing his own hips into hers. Her arms slid up the back of his shirt, the caress of her fingers sending shivers up his spine, and soon his own shirt was discarded in one swift movement.

It wasn't long before they were naked and Syaoran was towering over her, entering her without word or warning. She lent up to kiss his jaw, wrapping her legs around him encouragingly as he filled her completely, devouring her from inside out.

He thrust slowly at first, relishing the feeling of her, drawing low moans from both of their throats.

"Call me Syaoran," he breathed into her ear.

"W-what?" Sakura panted, the pleasure making her mind dizzy and slow to process external information.

"Call me _Syaoran_," he repeated, deepening his strokes.

She was quick to oblige after that.

With every passing second, the words they kept from each other became closer and closer to being confessed, yet neither one of them were willing to say them out loud.

She pressed her lips against his collarbone to keep the words at bay, and he grabbed her by her wrists and focused all of his attention and energy on driving himself harder and deeper into her.

But it was not enough.

"Syaoran, I...I..." she cried, finally giving in, "oh god, _please_ don't leave!"

He stared down at her, his hips slowing in their motions. Even though he did not say it out loud, Sakura knew him well enough to guess his unspoken words.

Of course he was going to leave.

Even if she begged, he would still go.

She shut her eyes tightly at his lack of response and buried her face in his neck, willing herself not to cry again. He felt her shoulders tremble and he kissed her once more, softer, calmer than he did before, murmuring empty apologies and sweet nothings against her lips.

She was unexpectedly demanding after that, willing him to carry on – _faster, deeper_ – half of her wanting this last moment of intimacy to never end, and the other half anxious for it to be over and done with.

Syaoran matched her requests, skillfully lifting her leg and slinging it over his shoulder as he ventured deeper inside her. He watched her writhe with pleasure underneath him and call his name as he thrust harder with each breath.

Sakura's whole form shuddered when she reached her climax, biting hard onto his shoulder when she did, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of hearing her come.

His pace quickened and he followed her, throwing back his head back with a final moan, fisting the crumpled bed sheets in his palms. He fell on top of her, panting heavily, chest heaving and beads of sweat rolling down his face.

They were still for a moment, feeling so right but yet so wrong in each others arms, and after one last, long, languorous kiss, he withdrew himself from her and a part of her died inside.

He lifted himself up by his arms and knees and looked down at her with unmistakable admiration – she was beautiful, more beautiful now than he had ever thought possible, with red swollen lips and sleepy, green eyes.

He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.

"Sakura, I lov–"

But she cut him off by turning her head away from him abruptly, her eyes downcast to hold in any impending tears.

"No," she whispered. "Don't."

* * *

**Authors Note:**

So there's the outcome but how did they get into this mess?

Stay tuned for the following chapters and don't forget to leave me something nice!

Panda


	2. The Beginning

**Friends with Benefits**

**By Confused Panda Bear**

* * *

**Chapter One**

**"The Beginning"**

* * *

"You're – _WHAT_?" A young woman's scream echoed throughout the apartment building.

Syaoran suppressed a yawn – eyes fixated on his _Blackberry_ – not even taking a moment to glance at the very distraught young woman standing before him.

"I'm breaking up with you, Yumi," he repeated impatiently, knowing full well that he made his statement clear in the first place. "It's just not working out between us."

"But…you can't!" the blonde stammered, still in shock from the recent revelation. "I don't understand! Everything between us was so perfect!"

At twenty-five years old, Li Syaoran had been in this situation plenty of times to know exactly how it was going to go.

He found, after many years of dating experience, that break ups were reminiscent of the Kübler-Ross '5 Stages of Grief' model – five stages individuals undergo following a traumatic event or loss.

Stage one: _denial_.

"This…this can't be happening," the girl sniffed. "You can't be doing this to me! We've only been dating for two weeks!"

"Two weeks I'll never forget, babe," Syaoran lied, reaching over to hold her hand in an attempt to be comforting. "But it's been fun right? All good things have to come to an end someday."

Stage two: _anger_.

"You bastard!" Yumi cried, snatching her hand away from his grasp. "You…you _man whore_!"

Her statement was swiftly followed by a slap across his face, which was always surprisingly painful even when he was fully anticipating it.

"I should have listened to my friends!" the girl continued, on the verge of hysterics. "They warned me about you! They told me about what you were like and I was stupid enough to think that I could _change _you!"

"Don't be like that, Yumi," Syaoran tried to reason. "Let's not end it this way. We're neighbours, you live across the hall. I don't want things to be weird between us. I'd still like to be friends."

Stage three: _bargaining_.

"Friends? How can we remain _friends_?" Yumi bawled, tears now running freely down her face, her make-up leaving ugly black streaks on her cheeks. "How can I be friend's with someone I'm completely and utterly_ in love_ with?"

Falling to her knees before him, she grabbed onto Syaoran's leg and began hysterically crying into the fabric of his expensive suit trousers.

"Please don't leave me!" she cried pathetically, "I'll do anything!"

Syaoran really hated this stage.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, the young man glanced at his watch and wondered just how long this was going to take because he had a meeting in half an hour on the other side of town.

"Yumi…can you try not to…cry on my suit," he said, shaking his leg as gently as possible.

"But it _smells_ like you!" her muffled sobs came. "I'm going to miss the way you smell!"

Stage four: _depression_.

"I'm never going to love again!" Yumi's irrational rants continued. "I'll never find anyone I love as much as you! No one can love you as much as I do, I hope you know that!"

Syaoran had to choke back a laugh.

He didn't know why, but he always had a knack for picking the crazy ones.

He always found it so strange that some women would consider sleeping together a couple of times a relationship – let alone claim to have fallen in love with him.

_Love_ – he scoffed.

Even if such a thing existed, the concept didn't appeal to him. Nor did he have time for it, between work and meetings, sprint reviews and business trips; a full-fledged relationship had little to no priority in his life.

Short-lived romances and one-night stands worked for Syaoran, and he wasn't ashamed of his chosen lifestyle. He knew full well that any man in the world would kill to be in his shoes.

"Look Yumi," Syaoran continued sternly, tugging his leg free from the girl's claws before quickly making his way towards the front door. "I really need to get back to the office now. It's been great – _you're_ great! We've had fun, right? No hard feelings, okay?"

The poor girl was quick on his track, wiping her running nose with the back of her hand. "B-but you can't leave!" she hiccupped, "my parents are coming over to meet you today! What am I supposed to tell them?"

Swinging open the front door in a hurry, Syaoran did not even take a moment to properly contemplate her words.

"That's too bad," he replied offhandedly. "Tell them I said hi!"

Yumi's jaw dropped, absolutely mortified by his indifference.

"You – you _JERK_!" she screamed, taking off her shoe and aiming it at his head, only to miss and hit door that slammed behind him.

The fifth, and final stage of the break up process, was _acceptance_ – to finally let go and move on.

But, of course, Li Syaoran was long gone before that.

* * *

A few weeks later, twenty-one year old Kinomoto Sakura gazed up at the gleaming windows of her new home, a faint smiled playing on her lips. Tokyo was a new city and a new start, and she was determined to leave the heartache of her hometown behind.

Upon parking her beat up old car, she was promptly greeted by a few of her new neighbours who had noticed she had arrived alone and were kind enough to help her move in.

Naturally, they had warned her about the infamous Li Syaoran before she had even stepped foot inside the building.

"Hey Sakura, where do you want me to bring these?" Daidouji Tomoyo resident of 10A asked, arms piled high with cardboard boxes.

"Oh, um," Sakura replied, hastily checking the key ring of her new apartment. "Apartment 12C – on the twelfth floor, I think?"

The girl faltered in her stride. "Wait a second…you're moving into 12…_C_?" Tomoyo repeated; her eyes widening in what Sakura could only place as horror.

"Yes…why? Is that a problem?" she asked nervously.

Tomoyo looked to her roommate, a raven-haired girl named Li Meilin, and they shook their heads at each other as if they were sharing a private joke.

"Oh, it's nothing," Tomoyo answered finally, trying to sound nonchalant. "It's just that you'll be living opposite to Li Syaoran…"

Emerald eyes blinked innocently back at her. "Who's that?"

The duo glanced over the new girl and couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Sakura was petite; with large green eyes, bee-stung lips and fine golden hair that was pushed away from her pretty face by _Ray Ban_ sunglasses. It was a warm summers afternoon, so she was sporting denim shorts that flaunted her tanned legs and a fitted checked shirt that accentuated her tiny waist.

Yep.

Just how he liked them.

"Don't worry, Kinomoto," Meilin said, patting her shoulder sympathetically, "you'll find out soon enough."

And with that, she turned her heel, giving Tomoyo a glance that meant something along the lines of 'you should fill her in,' before heading towards the building entrance.

The new girl, oblivious of their exchange, bit her lip nervously. "What does she mean?" she questioned Tomoyo almost immediately. "Who is Li Syaoran? Is he not nice?"

The amethyst-eyed girl smiled at her naivety. Immediately taken by Sakura on sight because she was so (in her words) 'kawaii,' Tomoyo felt almost protective of the 'country-girl-in-the-city innocence' that radiated from her.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," she waved off her concerns. "I would say...he is a bit…_too_ nice."

Not quite catching her drift, Sakura tilted her head slightly like a confused puppy.

"_Hoe_?"

Setting down the box she was carrying, Tomoyo paused to contemplate of how she could even _begin_ to describe Li Syaoran.

As best 'bro' of her long-term boyfriend, Hiiragizawa Eriol, Syaoran had never thought to look twice at Tomoyo herself, but she had known and had been good friends with the man long enough to have witnessed – first hand – his insouciant attitude towards dating and women.

Syaoran was a player by definition, accompanied with every cliché imaginable – tall, dark, handsome, wealthy, and naturally charming – with seemingly no sense of remorse or respect for the female species.

She sighed dejectedly just thinking about it. As much as she loved Syaoran like an extension of her own family, he was selfish and irresponsible. It was as if he had no appreciation of the consequence of his actions, and it would be a shame for a nice girl like Sakura to fall victim to his devious games.

"I think," Tomoyo began; choosing her next words carefully, "You should know why the previous girl who lived in your apartment moved out…"

* * *

"Hey Mei, who the new girl?"

Meilin could almost laugh at the sheer predictability of her cousin who she found, peering through the glass doors of the building entrance. He was shamelessly eyeing the new girl, who was bending over to retrieve the boxes from her car boot.

"I thought she'd be to your liking," she commented in an exasperated tone. Juggling the box she was carrying, she struggled to press the 'call elevator' button, as Syaoran was too busy ogling to help her.

"She _is_ pretty cute."

The dark haired girl simply rolled her eyes, speculating on how he could have determined that assumption solely from staring at her behind.

"Her name is Kinomoto Sakura – she's from Tomoeda, some little town in the countryside," Meilin explained. "She got here this morning. Tomoyo and I are helping her move in."

"Well, that's very kind of you," Syaoran expressed pointedly. "I don't recall you offering to do such a thing when _I _moved in."

"That's because you didn't _need_ my help, Syaoran," Meilin derided, shooting him an irritated look. "You had every woman in the building scrambling to help you."

Syaoran smiled at the memory – remembering also of how he had returned their _kind_ favours.

"Oh, yes of course," he drawled, "how could I forget?"

Meilin expressed her disgust by making an audible puking noise.

Despite her attitude, she was not at all particularly concerned with her cousin's sexual 'activities.' In her opinion, Syaoran was a grown man and therefore entitled to do whatever he pleased in his love life.

Nevertheless, much like the rest of their family, Meilin did feel that his 'escapades' were a poor reflection on both their image and of the company's.

The _Li Corporation_ was a successful international conglomerate, their family the definition of wealth, power and success. Li Syaoran, the young successor, with his finely chiselled features and underwear model body, was a gossip columnists dream.

Dubbed the 'Bad Boy Heir' of the Li Empire, Syaoran was connected with all sorts of new women every month, and – much to the dismay of his elders – showed no intention of settling down any time soon.

"She's moving into 12C, you know," Meilin continued, changing the subject before he went into details.

"Across the hall from me?" Syaoran perked up, looking to his cousin for confirmation. "Yumi's old place?" When Meilin reluctantly nodded in agreement, a handsome smile was quick to spread across his face. "This could be fun…"

"You can forget about it, Syaoran," Meilin warned with a glare. "Tomoyo's completely besotted with the girl and is adamant that you won't lay a finger on her – she's already told her what you're like."

"That I'm handsome, charming, clever, ridiculously rich…?"

"More like that you're an arrogant player, who will use her for sex and then never speak to her again – like you did the previous girl who lived in that apartment!"

"You told her about Yumi?" Syaoran whined, almost childishly. "That's a bit harsh!"

Meilin let out an exasperated sigh.

It never seemed to cross Syaoran's mind that what he did to Yumi himself was '_harsh_.' The poor girl had been so heartbroken, she had moved out of the building completely to avoid Syaoran and his conveyer belt of women.

"Well, it doesn't matter, it's not like she'll be interested in you anyways," Meilin continued, matter-of-factly.

Amber eyes shot her a challenging look. "Oh yeah? And why do you say that?"

"She told Tomoyo that she's just come out of a serious relationship," Meilin informed, turning her chin up at him. "So she's not looking to get involved with anyone soon. Too bad, huh?"

"What are you talking about, Mei? That's perfect!" Syaoran scoffed, not in the least bit phased by her attempt to deter him. "If anything, she'll be looking for a good time, right?"

* * *

By the way her new friends had warned her about her neighbour, Sakura should not have been surprised when the man was at her door less than twenty-four hours after she'd moved in.

A loud knock at her front door startled her as she was unpacking the last few boxes in her living room, and she glanced her watch, wondering who on earth would be calling almost one in the morning.

"Yumi?" a gruff voice called through the door. "Yumi, it's me!"

Sakura exhaled with relief at the realisation that the caller was just a confused friend of the previous tenant – not a serial killer as she had first assumed.

Swinging open the front door to politely inform the visitor that 'Yumi' no longer lived in this building, she was met with a devastatingly handsome man leaning against her doorframe.

He blinked at her – equally as bemused by her presence – before offering her a dazzling smile.

"Oh, hel-_lo_!" he greeted, placing a hand against the door in attempt to not only look cool, but to also keep his balance. "You're not Yumi!"

It was then with Sakura noticed the half empty bottle of wine dangling from his hand.

"No…I'm not," Sakura managed. "I'm sorry, she doesn't live here anymore."

It was as if she could see the cogs turning his heavily intoxicated brain as the he took a minute to ponder her statement.

His eyes flashed with recognition.

Of _course_!

How could he not remember the cute girl with the nice ass moving in this morning?

In his drunken state, Syaoran had completely forgotten that his ex-neighbour/girlfriend had moved out a few weeks ago. Overlooking this minor detail, he was unashamedly looking for a post-break up 'booty call,' knowing that Yumi was easy and always up for it.

But as he took a moment to glance appreciatively over the very attractive girl standing in her place, it wasn't long before he decided that he now had _better_ plans for his evening.

"Oh right! I know you! You we're moving in this morning!" Syaoran exclaimed in a heavily delayed eureka moment.

Sakura nodded, amusedly. "That's right."

"I'm Li Syaoran," he introduced, with a merciless smile. He jerked a thumb to the door across the hall. "I live in 12B."

Sakura faltered, her eyes widening at his name.

After Tomoyo had warned her against getting involved with her new neighbour, Sakura had been quick to assure her that – having recently come out of a three-year relationship – she was in the conventional 'man-hating phase' of the break up, and therefore immune this 'Li Syaoran's' advances.

Although she had to swallow her own words when she took a moment take in the sight of him: broad shoulders, messy dark brown hair, piercing amber eyes and a stance emanating an almost intimidating masculinity.

He was – quite literally in her case – the very vision of the 'boy-next-door' heartthrob she had been warned about.

Upon realising that she had been staring at the guy for longer than it was socially acceptable, she quickly extended her hand in greeting.

"Uh, Kinomoto Sakura," she replied, focusing all of her energy to keep her voice from wavering. "12C…obviously," she laughed, pointing at the number on her front door, "_…_I don't know why I said that…_god_…it's nice to meet you!"

"And you," Syaoran replied, amused by her rambling. "Welcome to the building."

Sakura gulped.

_Oh heavens_, he was more attractive up-close. They certainly didn't make men like him back home.

Regardless of his drunken state, she noted his cool, collected expression as he confidently took her small hand into his, and figured that he was used to women acting this flustered around him.

There was an awkward pause, Sakura battling with her thoughts on whether to invite him into her apartment or not. He was her new neighbour after all, they might as well get to know each other a little better, but telling by the way he slightly slurred his words, the guy was plastered and it was past midnight – not exactly the conventional situation for exchanging pleasantries over a cup of coffee.

Although he _did _seem like he might need one.

"Do you want to come in…for a drink?" she finally asked, her voice small and hesitant. Relief swept over her when he more than willingly accepted her offer. "I'm sorry the place is such a mess," she apologised, grimacing at the piles of unpacked boxes and bubble-wrap. "Try to make yourself at home."

"Don't be sorry," Syaoran laughed as he followed her into the apartment. "It's expected!"

He perched himself on one of the kitchen stools as the girl fumbled through some boxes in search for clean mugs.

Glancing around the half-furnished apartment, Syaoran noted that it was a mirror of his own place across the hall, with beige walls and wooden floors, a kitchen and breakfast island on the far right and a short corridor on the left that lead to the bathroom and master bedroom. The only differences were the standard pieces of _IKEA_ furniture that came with the place, which he had gotten rid of in his own apartment for more stylish substitutes.

"How do you like your coffee?" Sakura asked.

"Laced with whisky," he half-joked and the girl turned to him with a disbelieving look.

"I think you've had enough for this evening – I'll make decaf."

As the girl prepared their drinks, Syaoran discreetly surveyed her movements. Her golden hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, exposing the pale skin of her neck and back. He glanced over her petite frame, fully appreciating her scantily clad attire of pyjama shorts and matching tank top that left little to the imagination.

"So where have you been out tonight?" her voice interrupted his impure thought processes.

Caught off guard, it took a moment for Syaoran to conjure up a reply.

"Uh, well me and the guys from work hit up a couple of bars in the city," he explained offhandedly. "We closed this deal that we've been working on for months this afternoon. A celebration sort of thing, I guess."

"Oh, congratulations," the girl smiled, handing him a steaming cup before taking a seat opposite him.

"Thanks," he replied, taking the cup and waiting until the girl had settled down on the seat opposite before he spoke next. "So what brings you to the city, Kinomoto?"

"I transferred from Tomoeda-U," the girl explained a little bashfully. "I'll be studying at Todai this coming semester."

Syaoran whistled, genuinely impressed. "That's a great school. It's nice to meet a pretty girl who also has brains," he commented, and Sakura laughed nervously, ducking her head slightly in an attempt to hide her glowing face.

"How about you? You must work in the city, right?" she questioned, glancing over his tailored suit which screamed 'expensive' from a mile away. "Don't you have work tomorrow morning?"

"Unfortunately so. I have to be up and at the office for 7am," he replied, miserably.

Sakura winced, feeling the slightest bit of sympathy for him and his inevitable hangover in the morning.

"You should be getting to bed, not looking for your ex-girlfriend," she blurted out before even considering her words, and then clasped a hand over her mouth, the colour draining from her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean–"

Syaoran, although caught off guard by her comment, chuckled good-humouredly. "Ah, so you heard about that?" he asked, amusedly.

"One – very _feminist_ – side of the story," Sakura exhaled, glad to have not insulted him. "Tomoyo and Meilin from downstairs were kind enough to…fill me in."

"Yes, you'll have to take what they say about me with a pinch of salt," Syaoran explained, amusedly. "The whole thing with Yumi was a misunderstanding. We both wanted different things from our relationship, so naturally I had to end it. I hadn't anticipated that she would move out because of it."

"That sounds fair," Sakura nodded, understanding his reasoning. "It's better than leading her on, I suppose."

"That's right. Whatever. I'd rather spend my evening with you, anyways," Syaoran continued cheerfully, his eyes boring into hers. "I hear you're recently single."

"Ah, so you heard about _that_?" Sakura mimicked.

"Naturally," Syaoran grinned.

"We broke up a couple of months back now," she clarified a little reluctantly. "I won't bore you with the details, but I decided to switch schools and move out here to get away from it all."

"The city's definitely a great place for a change of scenery," Syaoran agreed. "I'll have to show you around sometime, maybe see the sights."

Sakura smiled, nodding enthusiastically. "I'd like that!"

"Great," Syaoran returned her smile, shooting her a suggestive glance. "And, just so you know, I'm always here to offer a post break up hook-up, if you need one."

And with that, Sakura almost choked on her drink.

"W–what!?" she spluttered, placing her mug firmly down onto the counter before she spilt the hot liquid over herself. "How can you say something like that? We've only just met!"

"_And_?" Syaoran challenged, pleased with her flustered reaction.

"And you are very, _very_ drunk!" Sakura gaped at him.

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"Well, you are clearly not thinking straight!" she reasoned. "You don't know what you're doing."

"I know what I want to be doing..."

Sakura shook her head; somewhat amused by the expectant look he was giving her, as if he assumed she would succumb to his suggestion without a second thought.

"I assume I won't be spending the night here, then?" Syaoran continued, ignoring her reasoning.

Sakura arched an apprehensive eyebrow at him. "Not unless you're comfortable staying on the couch?"

The man surveyed the piece of furniture in the middle of the living room area, nodding to himself before looking back at Sakura with a charming smile.

"Looks fine to me," he decided. "There's definitely room for the both of us."

Sakura shook her head – the worst part being that she had no difficulty picturing such a scenario in her head.

"Let's not forget, you have a bed right across the hall, which might be a bit more comfortable?" she retorted cleverly.

The young man shrugged, indifferent. "Your sofa, my bed, I'm easy."

After a moment of gawking at him and wondering if this guy was actually for real, Sakura let out a disbelieving laugh.

"You don't give up, do you?"

"Not when I see something I want," Syaoran replied, his gaze putting her into a trace the way that men do to women that could easily make them turn to putty in their hand.

"Well, my final answer is _no_, and I think it's about time you go to bed – alone," she reiterated sternly, for her benefit as well as his. "It's getting late."

With a final grin, Syaoran put both his hands up, admitting defeat. "Okay, okay, fair enough, Kinomoto. I apologise. You are right, I was out of line."

Reluctantly draining his cup, he thanked her for the coffee – but most of all, the pleasure of her company – and stood to take his leave, however pausing at the doorway of her apartment to present his final pitch.

"How about Friday night then?" he bartered. "To see the sights, like I said? I'll take you out for dinner too. What do you say?"

Sakura bit her lip. As tempting as Syaoran – _I mean_ – the offer was, she was still unable to stifle the memory of her last break up that was still burning in the back of her mind.

She had moved to the city for a change of pace, intending to focus on her studies and to heal herself of the heartache she left behind, _definitely_ not to meet or date anyone new, _especially_ her new, and very flirtatious neighbour.

"You know what," she replied, her tone a little reluctant despite herself. "I think I'll have to pass on that. Thank you for offering, though."

"What do you mean?" Syaoran faltered.

"It's not really the right time for me," Sakura explained in a quiet voice.

The man simply raised an eyebrow at her. "I can also do…_Saturday_?" he offered, still unable to register the fact she was simply refusing a date with him.

"Uh, well…"

"How are weekdays for you–?" he persisted.

"–I mean, time to be dating, in general," Sakura cut him off quickly, to avoid further confusion.

Syaoran frowned, unable to mask his disappointment. "You know, I'm not as bad as Meilin and Tomoyo make me out to be," he defended.

"Oh no! Of course it's not that at all," she immediately corrected him. "I...I just think it's a bad idea for us to get involved."

Not quite sure how to deal with her rejection, Syaoran was quick to put up his flirtatious defenses. "Well I, for one, think it would be a _great_ idea for us to get involved…" he said with a smirk.

Sakura shook her head with a laugh. Of course he did.

"Really?"

"Absolutely," Syaoran expressed. "If you go out with me on Friday, I'll take you somewhere nice up town, maybe this new Italian place that's got great reviews. And then we'll have drinks at the _BellVisto_ bar on top floor of the Cerulean Tower, where there's a great view of the city lights at night. I promise, you'll have the time of your life," he completed, his voice low and suggestive. "What do you say?"

Her throat flashed.

She would be lying if she said that she didn't think his proposal sounded like an absolute dream, but she was harshly reminded of the fact that perhaps she wasn't the first girl he had taken out for such an evening.

Nevertheless, regardless of his true intentions, Syaoran was still possibly the most handsome guy she had _ever_ met. She was flattered alone that someone like him would give her the time of day.

It was at that moment that Sakura knew, that if she ever let her guard down around Li Syaoran, she would surely regret it.

"As lovely as that sounds, I still have to pass," she answered finally, and Syaoran was rendered speechless, regarding the girl with an almost skeptical look on his face.

Well, this had _never_ happened to him before.

"Alright then, Kinomoto," he said when he recovered, trying desperately to keep his tone light-hearted. "All I can say is – you'll be missing out."

"I'm sure I will be," Sakura smiled. "I'm sorry, Li, but I'd like to just be friends, if that's okay with you."

"Don't apologize," he assured her, taking a backwards step across the narrow hall towards his own apartment. "I'm just sorry that I won't be able to treat a beautiful woman to the wonderful evening that she deserves."

"I'm sure you can find plenty of beautiful women to take my place," Sakura said pointedly, however unable to keep herself from returning his smile.

"None quite like yourself though, Kinomoto," he contended, clutching his chest in mock heartache.

Sakura laughed and rolled her eyes. "You'll live," she said shortly as Syaoran finally turned to take his leave.

"Thank you again for the coffee," he said, reaching for his keys. "And I'm sorry about barging in so late."

"Don't worry about it, it was nice to meet you," Sakura assured, before closing the door on him. "Goodnight then, Li."

"Sleep well, Kinomoto," Syaoran winked, his parting words causing the blood to leap from her veins. "I hope to be seeing a lot more of you soon."

* * *

**Authors Note:**

I was really surprised with the over-whelming response from the previous chapter and I'd like to take the time to thank you all for your kind reviews! Let me know what you thought of this chapter – I thought it was kind of boring.

Panda


	3. The Kiss

**Friends with Benefits**

**By Confused Panda Bear**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

"**The Kiss"**

* * *

The following week, Sakura was outside of her apartment, clumsily fumbling with the front door lock that she wasn't quite used to yet. Finally yanking her key free, she checked her watch and cursed under her breath, realizing that she was running late for her job interview.

"Do you need help with that?" a voice from behind startled her.

She spun around to find a three guys peering at her curiously, almost tripping over her own feet backing away from their stares.

The one with glasses laughed whole-heartedly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized with a friendly smile. "You must be Kinomoto. I'm Hiiragizawa Eriol, Tomoyo's boyfriend."

Recognizing the name, Sakura visibly relaxed. "Oh right! It's nice to finally meet you, Hiiragizawa," she greeted, extending her hand. "Tomoyo's told me all about you! Please, just call me Sakura."

"Only if you call me Eriol," he replied, charmingly. "And these are my work colleagues, Takashi Yamazaki and Yamate Hideki."

He motioned towards the two men standing slightly behind him, one with short dark hair who didn't seem to want to open his eyes properly, and the other with sandy blonde hair and violet eyes.

"It's nice to meet you both," Sakura greeted with a slight bow. "Are you visiting Li?"

"Yeah, we're gonna watch the game," Yamazaki explained, gesturing towards the six-pack of beers dangling in his hand.

"You should join us," the guy introduced as Hideki suggested, however prompting Sakura to check the time on her watch instead.

"I wish I could, but I've got a job interview in half an hour," she replied apologetically. "I would have loved to talk more, but I've really got to run."

"It's fine, don't let us hold you up any longer," Eriol insisted. "And good luck with the interview!"

Sakura gave them a short wave before taking off down the hall. "Thank you!" she called behind her. "See you around!"

The men bid their polite farewells and waited until she was out of earshot before discussing their verdict on the new girl.

"Tomoyo was right – she is _kawaii_," Eriol commented, although everyone knew that his assessment completely asexual. Tomoyo and Eriol had been dating for almost three years now, and, as corny as it was, she was the only girl in his eyes.

"Definitely a lot cuter than Yumi," Hideki remarked, still staring after the girl. "Do you know if she has a boyfriend?"

"Tomoyo said she's just broken up with her last one."

"Jeez, sounds like Syaoran's perfect scenario!" Yamazaki joked. "I wonder if he's made a move yet?"

As that was said, the man himself appeared at his front door, arching an eyebrow at their strange hallway congregation.

"I thought I heard your stupid voices," he greeted them everso politely. "Why are you all just standing out here? Game starts in five minutes!"

The guys always met at Syaoran's place because his apartment was considered to be 'greatest bachelor pad' in the city; with his wall-mounted plasma screen TV, unlimited supply for alcohol, and complete absence of an overbearing wife or girlfriend to ruin their fun. It wasn't long before Eriol was happily reclining on Syaoran's _La-Z-Boy_; whilst the other two were comfortably popping open their beers.

"We've just met your new neighbor," Eriol informed Syaoran, as he settled down on the couch next to him.

"She's an absolute babe," Hideki enthused.

But to everyone's surprise, the man simply replied: "yeah, I guess she's alright," with an uninterested shrug.

Eriol's eyes widened, and he glanced over at Yamazaki who gave him a knowing look.

Believe if or not, Syaoran and Eriol were somewhat distant relatives, twice removed somewhere, but chose to tell people that they were cousins to avoid over-complication. Despite their relation, they had been best friends since they were teenagers and had even attended college together.

In short, Eriol knew the man better than he knew himself, recognizing in an instant, that Syaoran's supposedly 'indifferent' comment about his new neighbor, was not in the least bit indifferent at all.

"She rejected you, didn't she?" he teased, causing Syaoran to tense up in his chair.

"What? No, why do you think that?" he retorted, a little bit too defensive.

"Well, we all thought that you might have liked to, lets say, _'__take advantage'_of her situation," Eriol explained. He took a sip of his beer to hide his growing smirk. "There's no need to be bitter if she–"

Syaoran glared at him so vehemently that Eriol thought the vein on his head was going to explode.

"–I'm not bitter!"

Eriol and Yamazaki caught each other's eye and stifled their laughs.

Although Syaoran was their best friend, pissing him off was one of their favorite pastimes. It was amusing to see a man of Syaoran's age act like a spoilt child who was on the verge of throwing a tantrum, just because he wasn't allowed to play with the shiny new 'toy.'

"So, I'm guessing you haven't slept with her yet?" Yamazaki provoked. "She's been here like, what? _Two weeks_ now?"

He knew this would irritate Syaoran. The man _pride_ himself on how quickly he could get women into bed.

His current world record was an impressive 4 minutes 32 seconds.

"Well – I mean, it's not like – _no_," Syaoran admitted, stumbling over his words. "She's having ex issues," he finally managed to explain. "I don't want to get dragged into that shit. Besides, we're neighbors, it'll be awkward."

Eriol thought it best to hold his tongue rather than remind him that being neighbors with someone had never stopped him before.

Not buying his excuses, Hideki reached over and gave Syaoran a patronizing pat on the back. "You win some, you lose some, eh buddy?" he consoled, and Syaoran resisted the urge to punch him in the face.

"Do I dare say it," Yamazaki goaded, "is the famous Li Syaoran…losing his _touch_?"

And with that, the man lost it.

"I am _not_ losing my touch!" Syaoran exclaimed, stubbornly rising to the challenge.

Eriol gave him a condescending nod. "Sure, sure…"

"I'm not! I'm just…biding my time," he reasoned, running a hand through his chestnut locks to remind him self to _keep cool_. "But I'll get her. Just you wait and see."

* * *

Being the youngest of five siblings and the only boy, Syaoran grew up spoilt with love and attention.

He was lucky enough to be blessed with a childhood where he would never want or work for anything, which included the girls who had flocked him the moment he had hit puberty.

Syaoran could have any girl he desired, he had his pick.

That was, until Kinomoto came along.

The green-eyed girl was a strange anomaly that he wasn't quite sure how to deal with. He had been so used to women falling over each other for his attention that he couldn't work out why this girl had to be any different.

And this was why, or so he reasoned to himself, he couldn't get her out of his mind.

To say that she had bruised his ego was an understatement.

No girl had _ever_ refused him a date and he just wasn't used to that kind of rejection.

He felt idiotic – he was making a bigger deal out of it that it was. So what if she had tainted his previously perfect success rate?

It was _her_ loss – not _his_.

So he had planned on forgetting her. Plenty of other fish in the sea, so to speak. But the girl had quickly inseminated herself into his social group and lived in such close proximity that he saw her almost on a daily basis – their encounters, always _pleasant_ and _polite_ like neighbors were.

She would wish him a "good -insert time of day-," make passing comments on the current weather, and would even engage in small talk with whatever bimbo he was bringing into his apartment that night.

But she never lingered long enough to have a proper conversation – she had made sure of that – and it drove him crazy.

It wasn't as if she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and it annoyed him, the way his friends fawned over her. Granted, she was pretty, but he had dated girls – _models_ even – with killer legs and assets much _larger_ and _perkier_ than Kinomoto had to offer.

Syaoran had to admit, however, that his neighbor had an air of mystery about her that he always found so fatally attractive in a woman. Other girls he pursued, bored him with their life stories, too easily let him into their hearts, and he all too quickly lost the satisfaction of bedding them.

Kinomoto Sakura was a challenge – and he had always liked a challenge – and because of this, his so-called "friends" were not helping his case either.

Eriol's and Yamazaki's constant teasing of his 'declining expertise' in picking up women was infuriating. Meilin and Daidouji had also made it very clear that the girl was absolutely _forbidden_ to him – Daidouji, in particular, threatening to personally _castrate_ him if the mere _thought_ ever crossed his mind.

Which – sickly enough – only made him want her more.

It was Saturday night the following week, and Syaoran was out for dinner with his latest date, who was garbling on and on about something he wasn't the least bit interested in.

She hadn't noticed, of course. Syaoran had perfected the art of nodding and smiling at the appropriate times. It was a skill he was quite proud of, allowing him to zone out and contemplate on things, whilst gaining praises for being '_such_ a good listener.'

"And then I was like, oh my _god_, Hana, that skirt is so last year, what were you thinking–?"

"–Hey guys, I'm sorry for the wait – oh, hey Li!" a familiar voice cut in.

Amber eyes snapped back into consciousness at the mention of his name, and Syaoran almost had a heart attack at the sudden appearance of the girl he had just been shamelessly fantasizing about.

He had to blink twice to confirm that he wasn't dreaming.

"K–Kinomoto!" he managed. "What are…?"

"I work here," the girl answered his unfinished question. "I got a part-time job here last week – this is my first shift, actually."

"Oh, well, this is one of my favorite restaurants in town," Syaoran replied, feeling the need to justify his presence as well. "The uniform looks great on you," he couldn't help but remark, but the girl simply laughed, dismissing his compliment by admitting that she felt silly in the outfit.

"I look like a French maid or something!" she confessed, tugging at the ruffled skirt. "So you come here often then–?"

"–_Excuse_ me! I'd like to order please," Syaoran's date cut her off sharply, annoyed that her very existence had been completely forgotten at the arrival of the waitress. "_Hello_, we've been waiting for, like, fifteen minutes."

Syaoran snapped his head back to his date, eyes narrowing at her unneeded insolence. Sakura, on the other hand, was quick to apologize, and began scrambling for her notepad and pen.

He ordered the katsudon whilst his date ordered the salad – _typical_ – and Sakura took their menus, apologizing again with a low bow, before scurrying back into the kitchen, without another word or glance at Syaoran.

He stared after her and sighed, feeling his shoulders relax at her departure.

"Who was _that_?" his date questioned, not even attempting to conceal her annoyance.

Syaoran resisted the urge to roll his eyes, simply replying: "she's my neighbor," and refusing to take the topic any further.

The evening continued without further event. Sakura did not speak with him again in fear of his date biting her head off, and Syaoran was disappointed, to say the least.

After they had finished their meals, his date excused her self to use the ladies room, so he took the opportunity to usher over his new favorite waitress to pay the bill.

"How's your first shift going?" he asked as she fumbled with the card reader.

"Not too bad – I haven't broken anything yet!" Sakura answered triumphantly. "How's your date going?"

Syaoran chuckled, "I have no idea. I haven't registered a single word she's said in the past hour," he admitted in a hushed voice. "But apparently I've been good enough company – she's still here, after all!"

Sakura laughed along with him, although knowing full well that any girl with _eyes_ would not have cared either way. Syaoran, she noted, was looking particularly delectable today in slacks and a blue dress shirt, stretched deliciously over his broad chest.

She discreetly raised her hand to wipe her chin, conscious that she might have been literally drooling over him.

"What time are you closing today?" he questioned in her silence.

"The restaurant closes in half an hour, but the bar area is open until 2am," Sakura explained. When he did not reply, she hastily added: "your date is very pretty. Are you two planning on sticking around for a drink?"

"Well, _I_ am," Syaoran answered, ambiguously. Without providing further explanation, he placed a large bill on the tray as her tip and asked; "What time does your shift finish today?"

"Soon, I think – and you don't need to give me that," she insisted, sliding the bill away from her.

"Fine," the man stood from his seat. "I'll see you in a bit then," he stated with a handsome smile.

"Are we ready to go?"

Syaoran's date interrupted before she could question him, and caught off guard, Sakura jumped as if she were guilty of something, and hastily began clearing away their plates.

The girl sent the waitress a glare that meant something along the lines of "back off, bitch," and sauntered towards Syaoran. She pointedly wrapped her arms around his neck and traced a perfectly manicured finger across his jaw.

"So _baby_," she drawled, loud enough for Sakura to hear. "You wanna head back to _my_ place for a little bit of fun?"

Sakura visibly blushed at her suggestive tone and hurried away as quickly as possible, not wanting to overhear any more of their intimate exchange.

Syaoran watched her depart with a pained look.

His date was _really_ getting on his nerves.

Upon exiting out of the restaurant, he hailed a nearby cab that was parked a little way up the road.

The girl on his arm seemed pleased at his apparent agreement to her sexy suggestion, but was struck almost speechless when she climbed into the back seat and he did not follow.

"W-wait!" she stammered, frantically rolling down the passenger side window. "Aren't you coming?"

Syaoran shook his head. "No thanks, I think I'll pass," he replied inattentively, handing the cab driver a couple of bills to cover her fare.

"_What_?" the girl shrieked murderously, "why not?"

"Because I've found better company for this evening," he answered with an impudent grin, and before the girl could retaliate, the cab sped off into the night.

* * *

"Ne, Sakura, who was that hot guy you were talking to earlier?"

Mihara Chiharu, a fellow waitress that Sakura had become friendly with, approached her with eyes brimming with excitement.

"You know the one," she pressed, "tall, brown hair, gorgeous – the future father of my children?"

Sakura didn't have to think twice of whom the girl was referring to.

"That was my neighbor, Li Syaoran."

"Your _neighbor_? Wow, you're so lucky, Sakura!" Chiharu gushed, hands clasped under her chin. "He's _way_ out of my league though. Did you _see_ the girl he was with?"

Sakura did not answer, occupying herself with pouring the drink orders for table #8. For some reason, she did not want to be thinking about Li Syaoran, or the beautiful girl he was probably doing 'hands stuff' with in the back of a cab right now.

"Oh well," Chiharu laughed when she didn't reply. "A girl can dream, right?"

"Don't be silly, Chi, you're just as pretty as her," Sakura answered with a reassuring smile. "Besides," she added defiantly. "I don't think he's _that_ good looking."

Truthfully, Sakura was very much aware that the man was a walking sex god – but as handsome and as charming as Syaoran was, she stubbornly refused to admit to being attracted to someone who clearly had no respect for her sex.

The girl next to her gasped in horror, as if she had said something blasphemous or had insulted her mother's weight.

"How could even you _say_ that, Sakura? He is an absolute _Adonis_ of a man!"

"You don't know him," Sakura justified plainly. "He's a nice guy, but he's not exactly what one would look for in the 'father of their children.'"

Chiharu brushed off her reasoning with a roll of her hazel eyes. "Who cares – when someone is that _hot_, it doesn't matter!"

"He's not _that_ hot."

"Are you being serious?" Chiharu said in an exasperated tone. "He's the hottest thing to walk this _planet_, Sakura!"

"Who is?" a deep voice joined their conversation.

In their mindless bickering, the two women had not registered that the supposed 'Adonis of a man' that they had been heatedly debating had somehow snuck up behind them, listening in on their conversation since _god_ knows when.

Sakura spun around and almost died of shock when she found Li Syaoran leaning against the bar, drink in hand with a dazzling smile aimed in her direction. Chiharu simply gaped him, dropping her – thankfully empty – tray to the floor.

"Who's 'the hottest thing to walk this planet'?" Syaoran repeated; eyes fixated on Sakura in a way that suggested that he already knew the answer.

"Uh…" was all she could manage in her stunned state, so Chiharu was quick to speak up on her behalf.

"We were talking about you, actually," the girl answered honestly, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear. "Me and my friend here think you're really hot."

Snapping back into reality, Sakura was quick to elbow the unsuspecting girl in the ribs. "Actually, _she_ does," she corrected sternly, "I was expressing my indifference."

Syaoran chose to ignore her comment.

"You think I'm hot?" he grinned at her.

"No!" (Sakura)

"Yes!" (Chiharu)

"I think you do," Syaoran flirted, not convinced by her answer.

"And _I_ think you're going to get me fired if you don't stop talking to me," Sakura stated dismissively, taking up her tray.

"It's okay, I already spoke to your manager," Syaoran said, nodding towards the blonde haired man on the other side of the restaurant. "He said you can finish your shift twenty minutes early today."

Sakura followed his eyes to over to Fye Flourite, the overly excitable owner of the _Cat Eye's_ restaurant. The man caught her confused gaze and gave her an approving 'thumbs up.'

"It's okay, Sakuraaa!" Fye called unashamedly from across the restaurant. "Have fun on your date!"

Sakura was rendered speechless.

She were an anime character, she would have sweat-dropped.

"So, I was thinking," Syaoran suggested coolly, "whilst I was here, why don't we have a drink together?"

Shaking off her stupor, Sakura turned to her neighbor, ignoring his request. "Where did your date go?" she said, almost as a demand.

"I sent her home," he gave a nonchalant reply. "Forget her, she was boring. How about that drink, then?"

Although she was in no place to judge, Sakura was secretly pleased. She had thought that Syaoran could do much better than that moody stick insect, anyways.

"Maybe another time, Li," she dismissed, untying her apron as fast as her clumsy hands would allow. "I've had a really long shift, so I think I'm gonna head home."

Syaoran frowned to himself. She really was a tough one to crack.

"Oh, come _on_ Kinomoto," he enthused, "first you don't want my tip – now you won't let me buy you a drink?"

"Why do you want to buy me a drink so badly?" Sakura challenged.

"Because you look thirsty," he shot back at her with a grin. The girl rolled her eyes at his remark. "No?" he laughed at her defiance.

"No," she replied shortly. "I'm not."

"_I'm_ thirsty!" Chiharu offered after her rejection.

"What is it then?" Syaoran probed, wanting an explanation at the very least.

"What is what?"

"Why you won't have a drink with me?"

"I–I just told you why!" Sakura stammered.

Amber eyes narrowed at her skeptically.

"Are you dying?" he asked abruptly.

"_What_?"

"Do you have a terminal illness that prevents you from getting too close to anyone, in fear of loving them too much and breaking their heart when you die?"

Sakura simply stared at him in disbelief.

He had said it as if that were the only plausible reason in the whole world as to why the girl would refuse a drink with him.

"…_What_?" Sakura repeated. "No, of course not!"

"What is it then?" Syaoran pressed, unapologetically. "Am I not your type? You can be honest, I can take it."

Sakura ran a stressed hand through her hair at his shameless persistence – for some reason, unwilling to hurt the feelings of a man who would probably go through no trouble in hurting hers.

"No, that's not it," she answered, hesitantly. "Trust me, I think you're a great guy, and we get along really well..."

"But…?" he sensed a 'but.'

"I'm just not into dating like it's a sport," she confessed. "I don't believe it's something that involves 'scoring' as many points as possible, excuse the pun. So I don't think we're compatible in that sense."

Syaoran took a short moment to contemplate her words.

"So…" he dragged. "I…_am_ your type then?"

Sakura wanted to hit her head repeatedly against the hard marble counter. "_Really_?" she retorted. "Is that _all_ you got from that?"

"And something about scoring?"

"Look," Sakura spoke sternly, her patience now wearing thin. "I meant what I said the night we met. I'd just like to be friends."

"So don't think of this as a date, then!" Syaoran rationalized, pulling out a bar stool for her. "Just think of it as two friends – having one, _innocent_ drink together."

"Oh, come on Sakura," Chiharu interjected, playfully slapping the girl on the arm. "It's just _one_ drink, right?"

"Yeah, Kinomoto, you should listen to your friend," he gave the girl a grateful grin. "Hi, by the way – I'm Li Syaoran."

"Marry me," was his immediate reply.

Sakura groaned, already feeling a headache coming on.

"Okay, _fine_," she finally relented in a 'to hell with it' tone. "I'll stay for _one_ drink," she reiterated with distinct finality. "Just _one_ drink – as friends – okay, Li?"

* * *

"I'm telling you now, Li," Sakura warned after drowning her fifth drink. "This is _not_ a date. You are not allowed to flirt with me!" and then she giggled, unable to keep a straight face

Despite her hesitations, Sakura was having a surprisingly fun evening.

Keeping his side of the deal, Syaoran behaved. Instead of hitting on her, he spoke his family and friends back in Hong Kong, what he did for a living, and even made her cry with laughter with anecdotes of his teenage years spent with Eriol and Yamazaki.

"He did _what_?"

"Oh yeah," Syaoran reiterated, "Eriol was so drunk when he first met Tomoyo, he just walked up to her and asked if he could take her and 'the girls' home."

Sakura wrinkled her forehead. "The girls?"

"He was referring to her breasts."

In turn, Syaoran was interested in her life back in Tomoeda, her own family and friends, and – after she had a few more drinks – was curious as to why her last relationship had ended.

"He cheated on me with my best friend," Sakura answered bluntly, knocking back her third vodka and lemonade. "We were together for three years, so I was devastated."

Syaoran did not hesitate in expressing his outrage.

"_Bastard_!" he shouted, earning a few alarmed glances from the other customers. "The guy is _clearly_ an idiot," he concluded, as if there were no other explanation for it.

Sakura had to admit; it was nice to spend time with Syaoran without ulterior motive or intention.

She appreciated that he was making a conscious effort not to make her uncomfortable, quickly learning that he was genuinely an intelligent and approachable guy, underneath all the pick-up lines and innuendo.

However, as the night progressed and the more they drank, the harder it became for Syaoran to prevent his apparent 'natural instincts' of wanting to 'charm the pants off of her' (as he so elegantly had put it).

"But I have to flirt with you!" Syaoran protested, his face splitting into a smile. "It's my job!"

Sakura shook her head with disbelief. "Well try and think of this as less work more…"

"…Play?" he interrupted, eyes sparkling.

"T–that's not what I meant at all," Sakura stammered, averting her eyes from his gaze.

To occupy herself, she went to refill her glass and realized that the large bottle was empty, acknowledging with horror at just how much they had drunk.

It was then when she decided on calling it a night.

"Maybe we should head home?" she said abruptly, reaching for her coat to indicate that her suggestion was actually more of a request.

"Already? That's a bit forward of you, Kinomoto, but okay."

"That's not what I meant," Sakura derided. She turned her chin up at him rebelliously. "Maybe, I've had enough of you for this evening, Li Syaoran!"

"Oh, but we're just getting started, Kinomoto Sakura," he shot back at her, mercilessly.

Sakura felt her throat close up. She didn't know if it was his smile or the alcohol – or a combination of the two – that caused her heart to stop dead in its tracks.

Not trusting her own tongue to produce an acceptable response, she grabbed her purse and headed towards the door, with Syaoran almost tripping over himself to follow her.

When they arrived at their building, the couple hesitated at the narrow corridor separating their apartments, neither one of them making any indication of retrieving their keys.

"Uh, thank you," Sakura spoke up, the alcohol making her bold. "I had a great time tonight."

"Hmm. Me too," Syaoran agreed, although she sensed it was a little strained.

"What is it?"

Syaoran paused to formulate his answer. After spending the evening with her, he had gauged that Sakura was the kind of girl that appreciated honesty, so an honest answer was what he gave her.

"I'm trying to decide whether or not to kiss you," the man admitted casually, as if he were contemplating something trivial like what to have for breakfast tomorrow morning. "I would like to, but I'm scared of what you will do."

His lips curled into a smile when he watched Sakura's face contort into an angry scowl.

"What do you think I will do?!" the girl immediately demanded.

"I don't know," he replied with a shrug. "I get the impression you're the type of girl that would try to hurt me if I tried."

A vein beat on Sakura's head at his unfair presumption.

Sure – she might have kicked him in the nuts (a natural response conditioned on instruction from her older brother) – but he didn't need to know or assume that of her!

"I won't!" she protested, before clamping a hand over her stupid, _stupid_ mouth.

Syaoran's lips twitched. "So you want me to?" he teased, pleased by her embarrassment like the infuriating man that he was.

"Yes – I mean, _no_…I don't…" Sakura stammered incoherently. "I shouldn't want you to."

"Why not?"

"B–Because," the girl faltered under his scrutinizing gaze. "I've been in this city for less than a month and almost every woman I've met has said the same thing about you…"

"What have they been saying?" Syaoran asked, advancing towards her with a curious tilt of the head.

She swallowed.

"T–that you're bad news."

He stopped just in front of her, Sakura only just realizing just how tall and overpoweringly masculine he was, her own height only reaching the tops of his shoulders. Her mind told her body to run – he was too close – too _mesmerizing_ for her to handle in her slightly intoxicated state.

But she did not move or even protest, when he hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her head up to him, his face now only inches away from hers.

"Why don't you find out for yourself?"

And before she could think about it too much, he drew her body to him, clamping his steel arms around her waist like a vice and captured her lips with a kiss literally took her breath away.

Sakura was resistant at first, taken by surprise, but her stiff body soon relaxed into his as he deepened the kiss, pressing into his touch and tempting him to devour her entire form right there and then. She moaned into his mouth, soon becoming indifferent of the way her body reacted towards his roaming hands.

Her simple act of submission drove him to the very edge, and at that, Syaoran was rough and demanding, pushing her small frame against the wall and trapping her between it and his body, whilst she grasped at his coat in a desperate attempt to keep her composure.

She almost died when he pulled away for air.

"God, I've wanted to do that for weeks," Syaoran breathed, his nose still grazing against hers.

"R–really?" Sakura squeaked, unable to keep the heat from creeping up her neck.

Syaoran grinned at her modesty, pushing the hair away from her face with his fingers.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

He caught her lips a final time, his kiss now gentle, almost lazy, like he knew that he already had her.

"Goodnight then, Kinomoto," he murmured devastatingly as their lips parted. "Sleep well."

"Good…night?" she stammered, her words sounding more like a question than a bid farewell.

Syaoran released her to let himself into his apartment, parting without another word or glance in her direction. He had left her like that on purpose; her breath still short, her eyes still glazed over with a desire so intense that she wasn't sure what to do with it.

The door of his apartment clicked shut and a fantastical thrill ran down her body, her very nerve endings complaining at his departure.

Sakura leant against her front door to steady her breathing.

She raised a hand to touch her bruised lips, not knowing quite how to feel about their earth-shattering kiss – knowing only that it had left her dazed, confused and strangely unsatisfied.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

Changed this chapter up a bit – I thought that the last version was a bit rushed. Thank you to everyone who left feedback, favorite'd and followed!

Let me know what you think.

Panda


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